The Intern
by CrystalIceSweet
Summary: After Auror training, Harry is recruited for a secret project called Project Tasseract. His goal: infiltrate Stark Industries and gather as much info about the ancient magical object, last seen in the Arctic, from the data the Stark Research team posted there is sending back to HQ. He just never expected to end up saving Tony Stark's heart along the way. Slash HP/TS Mpreg.
1. Recruited

**Summary:** After Auror training, Harry is recruited for a secret project called Project Tasseract. His goal: infiltrate Stark Industries and gather as much info about the ancient magical object, last seen in the Arctic, from the data the Stark Research team posted there is sending back to HQ. He just never expected to end up saving Tony Stark's heart along the way. Slash HP/TS Mpreg.

**Change** **Log**: The summary has been changed. The chapters have been changed a little.

* * *

**PREFACE**

* * *

**Before starting the lecture of this story, please note the following things:**

- This fic will only be from Harry's Point of View. This will make storytelling easier and more interesting if you didn't know other people's motives.

- I do not own any of the characters mentioned below. This is a piece of fiction and should not, in any way, be taken as fact.

- This piece of fanfiction takes place during the second Ironman Movie before Tony discovers the atom that saves his life.

- Please also note that I have taken some liberties with the timeline as well as the locations of some buildings. For example, the Stark Industries HQ is supposed to be in Los Angelos, California, but in order to fit the plot, that Stark Industries has a building in Malibu.

- This is an Alternative Universe Fiction.

* * *

**PROLOGUE **

**RECRUITED**

* * *

"Mr. Potter," Kingsley started once Harry had settled down in one of the numerous chairs facing his desk, "Or should I say Auror Potter; graduated top of your class I see; Congratulations, not that I'm surprised."

Despite the sense of unease that was still causing a knot in the pit of his stomach, Harry couldn't help but smile at the reminder of his achievements. Being top of the class during Auror training was different then being top of the class at Hogwarts; for one thing, it was much more difficult considering how during their Hogwarts days, not all students applied themselves to their studies as diligently as Hermione, but during Auror training, everyone threw 100% of their being in to succeeding. Graduating with honors meant you actually had natural talent for the sort of work Aurors are asked to do, and Harry couldn't help preening a little that he has finally succeeded in something that has nothing to do with his title as boy-who-lived.

"Thank you, sir," he said, feeling elated and cheerful, "But I couldn't have done it without all those wonderful tips you have given me."

Kingsley dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.

"Those tips are nothing," he replied, "I gave them to everyone of you before training started."

Harry didn't know how to reply to that, but luckily before he could say more, Kingsley's expression turned serious as he leaned forward, forearms now resting on the desktop. His gaze was intense and unwavering, staring right at Harry, analyzing him. It took everything for Harry not to fidget under the attention.

"But Auror Potter, I'm sure that you are aware that's not what I called you here for," Kingsley finally said after a while.

Harry nodded. He may not be the brightest crayon in the box all the time, but he was naturally observant. Ron may not have seen it, but Harry knew there must be more reasons for Kingsley to ask Harry to come see him first thing in the morning then to congratulate him on his graduation.

"Yes sir," he answered, subdued, mind working a thousand miles per hours, wondering what Kingsley could want with him.

Luckily the man decided to put him out of his misery by taking out a folder from his desk drawer and handed it to Harry. The young man took it with trembling fingers; he didn't need more then the confidential stamped on the front to know that this much be his first mission.

Oh Merlin, he was finally getting his first mission. He may not know what the report entailed but he knew that things were going to change. Of course, Harry could have never predicted to which extent.

* * *

P. 1 Confidential

**British Ministry of Magic**

**CONFIDENTIAL**

**Auror Division**

**Your mission, should you choose to accept it…**

**Name**: Harry James Potter

**Age**: 21

**Mission Type**: Undercover.

**Mission** **description**: Infiltrate Stark Industries for information on the Tesseract.

The Tesseract is an extremely powerful and ancient magical device that has been around for nearly 2000 years. Its true power is unknown but if it falls in to the wrong hands, chaos will follow. Our last intel about the Tesseract is that it's somewhere in the Arctic. Since the magnetic field surrounding the whole area makes it impossible for wizards and witches to enter without having their magic go haywire, the best we can do is to be informed when the muggle research team stationed there (funded by Stark Industries) finds something of value to us.

**Objectives:**

- Obtain student and work Visa from the American Ministry.

- Obtain the required credentials at Muggle Universities (authorization obtained to use memory and speed-reading potions to gain knowledge).

- Gain access to Stark Industries (Job or Internship).

**Mission Level:** *****

**Additional** **notes**: Do not let anyone else, including foreign ministries of magic, know about this mission.

**Personal note: **Auror Potter, should you choose to accept this mission, please remember that this may not be as simple as it may seem. You have been chosen because you are the only Auror with more then a passing knowledge of the Muggle world.

I do not have all the information but something tells me that we will not be the only ones looking for this artifact.** Keep your guard up and do not trust easily.**

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Three Years Later

**Chapter 1 THREE YEARS LATER**

* * *

Three years.

It took three years for Harry to finally earn his degree and apply for Stark Industries. It all paid off because he was offered an internship with Tony Stark himself. He didn't know how he did it considering how everyone kept saying that Stark never accepted interns, but Harry wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If this gets him what he wanted, it was good enough for him.

Despite himself, Harry couldn't help the excitement that washed through his body as he read through the acceptance letter sent to him. This was it, this was what 3 years creating his cover amounted to. Hopefully he won't mess this up.

* * *

**_2nd August 2010_**

**- HARRY -**

Harry hated airports.

One might find it strange that Harry already has such strong feelings towards them when his last airplane trip dated back to his childhood when the Dursleys had no choice but to bring a 5 years old Harry along to one of their vacations because there was no one to watch him. But it didn't matter how many times Harry was forced to take a plane, one time, even when he was barely old enough to walk and talk, is enough to cement his hatred.

Why? Well, there are numerous reasons for that.

For one thing, airports are...crowded; not the good kind of crowded (in a club for example) that can get you worked up the best of ways, but the bad kind of crowded that only happens when you throw a bunch of sleep-deprived travellers, with a strict schedule to follow and no time to respect things like manners, in a closed space with no fresh air. Harry had just descended the plane and already he couldn't remember the number of times people bumped in to him and instead of apologizing, just gave him a glare.

Another thing about airports that Harry hates, is how bloody confusing they are. There are signs, sure, but that only helps people who knows where to go. If you don't even know your flight number because you were stupid enough to get your itinerary and ticket wet, making the words unreadable, all the maps in the world won't be able to help you.

Luckily, after claiming his luggage, finding where he was supposed to go was pretty easy; all he had to do was follow the crowd. With efficiency on his side, Harry managed to reach the exit in a matter of 30 minutes; his buggage in hand, he pushed open the heavy glass door and followed his fellow travellers in to a melee of screaming family members and overexcited friends. It took Harry 2 more minutes to find the sign with his own name, held up by a guy who looks barely old enough to be in university, and headed towards him.

"Mr. Potter?" The guy - David if his name tag is to be trusted - asked once he was close enough, "Your ID please."

Harry handed over his passport and observed his escort silently while the latter worked. It didn't take long for him to come to the conclusion that Harry was indeed who he said he was and smiled at him.

"Right this way, then Mr. Potter; a car is waiting for you at the front."

When David had said car, Harry had imagined a "normal" car, like the ones he sees on TV on in the driveway of town houses. He did not expect the huge black monstrosity of a limo parked in front, successfully blocking other cars and attracting everyone's attention. Harry could have sworn he saw someone taking photos with his cell.

_This is fantastic,_ he thought sarcastically as he tried to make it to the door without getting his face taken as a photo, _one would think I'm some kind of celebrity._

David, to his credit, looked as uncomfortable as Harry and pretty bloody apologetic at his fate.

"I'm sorry," he told the young man once they were in the safety of the vehicle "Mr. Stark liked to show off and doesn't seem to understand that not everyone enjoys the attention.

"That's ok," Harry told him pleasantly, "Don't worry about it."

He wasn't one to blame the underlings for their superior' choices. Instead he settled back in to the confortable leather seats and closed his eyes. He fell asleep in a matter of seconds, finally letting his earlier exhaustion catching up to him.

* * *

It felt as if he had only been napping for a minute or two when David started shaking him to wake him up.

"We're here," he told Harry with a smile, "Stark Industries."

Harry yawned, rubbing his eyes to bleed out the excess sleep from them and finally looked out the window.

They had stopped in some kind of underground garage, already full with a kinds of cars. The only decoration in this place was a big SI logo on the wall. For a place to park cars, Harry has to admit it's pretty clean.

With David's help, Harry managed to get out his two bags quite easily; he then followed David up a set of stairs and in to the main building.

A woman, dressed in a business suit and 5 inch high heels, was waiting for them. She smiled genuinely when she saw Harry approach.

"You must be Mister Potter," she said as she shook his hand, her grip firm, "I'm Miss Potts, I'm CEO of Stark Industries."

"It's nice to meet you," Harry replied warmly; he had always been good with gauging someone's personality just by looking at them and his every instincts - once again functioning after a nice nap - told him that Miss Potts was a good person and someone who could be useful as an ally. "I'm Harry Potter, as you already seems to know."

"Yes, we've been waiting for you," she told him, "Unfortunately, you will only be able to meet Mr. Stark himself tonight since he likes to work in his labs at home. Right now, I want to give a you a tour of the place."

She then turned to David and added: "You can go now, David, thanks for your help."

"Of course, Miss Potts," David replied with a small bow before disappearing down one of the corridors. Once he was gone, Miss Potts gestured towards another set of glass doors, opposite from where David had left.

"Shall we?" she said, "If we want to get this done before dinner, we have to start now."

* * *

After a 3 hours long tour (if that was possible), plus one hour for lunch, Harry found himself ushered once again in to another limo, this one heading to Stark Manor. The driver, a different one from his earlier trip, introduced himself as Happy and shook Harry's hand...happily.

"It's nice to meet you Mister Potter; I'm Mister Stark's personal driver; I hope you'll enjoy your stay at Stark Manor."

"Employees who don't have a home in the area lives at the Mansion; think of it as employee dorms," Miss Potts, Pepper as he had learned by now, explained when he asked her if there are other people staying there, "Unfortunately, you will be staying with a room mate. Don't worry, the rooms are big enough to house 10 persons. While the lack of privacy is sometimes pretty annoying, but it's nice to have some company from time to time."

"And who's my roommate?"

"His name is Alex," Pepper told him, "He's an engineer as well and is only a few years older than you so you should be able to get along. He was the new kid on the block, so to speak, before you."

As it turns out, Pepper was right; when Harry finally got to meeting Alex - after Pepper had shown him the different rooms of Stark Manor and told him which floors he cannot go then leaving after reminding him to come down to dinner at 6; Harry was so reminded of Dumbledore in first year that he actually expected Pepper to take out a pointy wizard hat and tell him how he better respect those rules if he didn't want to die a painful death - he really liked what he saw.

Alex was blond with blue eyes; he was well-built, tanned and had a wicked sense of humor. He even offered Harry the choice to choose which side of the room he wanted even if he had already installed himself on the left.

"I don't really mind," he told Harry once Pepper left, instructing him to come down to dinner at 6 to meet Tony Stark and receive more information on what he's supposed to do here, "I had this room for awhile and since I was the odd one out, I didn't have a roommate. It's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Well, I hope I'll be enough for you," Harry quipped back playfully as he took his bag and brought it over to the right side. He didn't want to displace Alex for nothing, after all. He didn't mind what side of the room he had, as long as he had a nice bed to rest, he was happy.

"I'm sure you're going to do great," Alex told him with a sincerity that made Harry want to laugh, "Anyway, what are you here for?"

"You make this sound like some kind of prison," Harry commented wearily.

"It might as well be one," Alex told him with a sigh, "The moment you enter this house, privacy becomes a thing of the past. Everything here is monitored 24/7; I don't know if Tony Stark is just paranoid or he just went overboard while doing the wiring for this house. Our every conversation is recorded, our every move taped; even the showers have cameras. When people say Big Brother is watching you, it's truer than ever. So Harry, welcome to Stark World."

Harry actually gulped.

* * *

At 5.50, Harry finished dressing and left Alex in their room to go downstairs for dinner. He had to admit he was slightly nervous about it all - meaning meeting Tony Stark for the first time - but his nerves luckily settled down a little when he saw Pepper waiting for him at the foot of the staircase like she had said she would, clad in a gorgeous emerald dress that properly costs more than his monthly salary. She smiled at his punctuality and led him to a dining room that she has not shown him earlier that day.

Despite being somewhat used to luxuriously decorated houses, thanks to his numerous contacts with the aristocracy of the wizarding world, Harry was still pretty impressed by what he saw.

Once the doors were open, a spacious dining room with majestic curtains, a beautiful mahogany table, a crystal chandelier that probably costs more than what some people make in a life time, expensive paintings adorning the walls, and a beautiful window view over the sea, revealed itself to Harry's gaze. The young man gasped a little in awe and could practically feel Pepper's amusement next to him.

"Nice, isn't it?" she said, more of a statement than a question.

They sat down opposite each other at the table, the front left for Tony to fill. Since the man hadn't arrived yet, Pepper started asking how he had settled in, how he was finding this place, if he was excited to start his internship. Their chatter managed to pass the time effectively, and Harry found himself relaxing even more as Pepper regaled him with stories and anecdotes of her beginnings as Tony's personal assistant and now CEO. It was nice really and Harry couldn't help but admire how patient Pepper was with Tony if all the stories she had told him were true. Probably was because some of them were pretty embarrassing and Harry figured she wasn't the type to make up things to make her friend look bad.

They talked and talked, but by 6.45 and Tony was still a no-show, Pepper's mood worsened.

"I don't know what's wrong with him," Pepper burst out after awhile of strained silence, startling Harry. He looked up, to find that the woman on the other side wasn't even looking at him. She was just talking; venting. "I mean; he was doing so well and then suddenly, he has this huge 180 degrees personality change. He's more reckless, he doesn't care any more; he's irresponsible and he's hurting and I can't help him because he won't tell me what's wrong."

Harry didn't have to be a psychologist to know that Pepper was a rather private person and must be desperate if she was actually venting out her problems in front of a stranger. In response, Harry wasn't sure if he should reply or not. He didn't want to, in any case, because he didn't want to risk saying the wrong thing and risking her redirecting her anger towards him. He has never been good at comforting people; the last time he tried, it was with Ginny and that ended up with him getting slapped, so he wasn't sure it was the best track record ever.

Luckily, Pepper regained her composure merely seconds after and sighed. She passed a tired hand over her face before turning to Harry with a forced smile.

"Sorry about that," she said, "I'm not usually this way, but recently things haven't been easy around here. Since you are going to work closely with Tony from today on, it would be best if you knew at least a little bit what to expect."

"Don't worry," he replied, with a dismissive shrug, "I'm sure everything's going to be fine."

Pepper nodded unconvincingly before looking at her watch again. A cursory look at the ornate clock on the wall told him it was already 6.45. The first dish has already been served, Pepper not wanting him to starve just because Tony was not responsible enough to be on time. The next few minutes passed in silence as they both ate, not really in the mood for conversation.

By 6.50, Pepper pushed herself away from the table and stood up elegantly.

"I'm going to look for Tony," she told Harry and without waiting for a reply, she strode out purposefully out the room. Despite never met Tony before, Harry couldn't help but feel bad for the guy; sure he was late , but does it really deserve the hell that Pepper will rain on him?

About 2 minutes after Pepper has left, Harry tensed when he heard the dinner room door open once again. It wasn't the one that Pepper had gone through just a few moments ago, but another one that Harry hadn't even noticed. He turned around, wondering who it could be, and found himself face to face with a dark haired man that could only be Tony Stark himself.

His first impression of Tony Stark was that he was a good-looking man in his late 30s; charismatic and charming, with a easy going smile that could probably charm everyone in his path. For Harry who had already met Presidents and Kings alike, Tony Stark was really nothing that impressive. He could see the appeal, sure, but he was just what he had expected from reading reports that Kingsley had given him. Harry hadn't thought much about it then and still didn't think of much of it now; he just stood up from his seat, and walked up to him to greet him with a diplomatic smile.

"Mr. Stark, it's an honour to meet you; I'm Harry Potter. Miss Potts just left a few moments ago to go find you. She will probably be back in a few minutes."

Tony winces at that.

"I do hope she's not too angry. I apologize for the delay, I got caught up with something. It's nice to meet you as well," Tony said, extending his hand to grab Harry's.

In retrospective, Harry should have known that if people could pinpoint a moment in their life that changes them irrevocably, this was probably it for him, because the moment their skin came in to contact, it was as if the world around them fell away. Time stopped for Harry; he could barely breath; his magic, which had stayed pretty docile all his life, suddenly burst inside him, englobing him and Tony in a massive bubble of energy and lighting every cell of Harry's body on fire. The force of it was so unexpected that it would have probably knocked him off his feet if he wasn't unconsciously gripping the edge of the table with his free hand so hard his knuckle was slowly turning white.

Tony's eyes widened as well, his breathing becoming ragged as he took in the new sensation. He took an involuntary step closer to Harry as if they were magnets, pulling each other in. It felt new; terrifying, like nothing Harry has ever felt before. It was like sugary warm sensation that was slowly making its way from the point of contact to all over his body. Later, Harry would say that it wasn't really attraction or lust; it wasn't love at first sight; it was more like a sense of belonging, of companionship that could definitely turn into something more if given the time. He felt warm and loose, happy and sated, and at that moment, he wanted, more than anything to stay where he was.

_Shit,_ Harry thought dazedly to himself as he tried to reign in his magic, _this has never happened before. What is going on?_

Luckily, or unluckily depending on the point of view, Pepper took that exact moment to come back from where she had gone to. She took one look at Harry and Tony, before a frown etched its way across her features.

"Anthony Edward Stark!" she started, weakening whatever hold Harry's magic had on both of them enough for Harry to get a grip on reality once more. And with that, Harry managed, with great difficulty, to let go of Tony's hand and take a much needed step back. The moment there was some distance between them, whatever connection had formed a moment ago broke and absurdly, actually left Harry with a sense of loss; it was ridiculous, he didn't know this man nor did he wanted to know him more than on a professional level; Harry was here for a job, he will get the info and get out; personal feelings shouldn't even come in to play. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought Stark had put some spell on him but that was impossible since the other man was obviously a muggle. Maybe this freaky reaction to Stark's touch is due to sexual frustration or something. Maybe Harry is just too tired for this; one thing's for sure, he needed to leave now.

Harry looked up at Tony once more, excuses already on the tip of his tongue, ready to say something, even if it meant interrupting Pepper's rant, when all words dried in his mouth. He hadn't noticed it before because of the creepy magic reaction, but now his head was clearer, he realized, for some reason, Stark's aura was visible to Harry's eye. It was a regular pale colour, that cemented the idea that he doesn't have one ounce of magic in him; it didn't surprise Harry at all. But what did shock him and actually made him want to puke a little was the small tendril of darkness slowly expanding and would probably englobe everything in a matter of month. The last time he had seen that exact phenomenon was when he had been visiting terminal ill patients at St Mungos.

Suddenly, everything Pepper told him about Tony started to make sense; his sudden shift in behaviour, his recklessness, the aura; oh Merlin, Tony Stark was dying and probably no one even knew.

Great, now things has gotten even more complicated and it was only his first day here. Whoever said that Harry wasn't a magnet for trouble was definitely out of their minds.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	3. First Day

**CHAPTER 2 FIRST DAY**

* * *

_**3rd August 2010**_

**- HARRY -**

"Mr. Potter," a voice said loud and clear, "Mr. Potter, wake up."

Harry groaned in annoyance, his mind still foggy as his body tried to throw away the last vestige of sleep. Truth be told, he didn't want to get up; he wanted to stay in bed and sleep the day away.

Unfortunately for him, the voice was relentless.

"Mr. Potter, wake up," it repeated.

"Bloody hell, Alex," Harry finally snapped, his speech slightly slurred du to the fact he hasn't full awaken yet, "When do you call me Mr. Potter and when did you become British?"

When the voice replied: "I am not Mr. Alexander Kantor, sir," Harry's eyes flew open as he bolted up right in bed.

The room was empty.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice from freaking out too much, "And where are you?"

"My name is Jarvis, sir," the voice replied, "I am not human. I am an Artificial Intelligence created by Mr. Stark himself to run his house. Mr. Stark calls me a very intelligent system."

"You're a computer system?" Harry gaped at the empty air, trying to compute what he had been told. If this was anyone else than Tony Stark, whose genius and ingenuity was legendary, Harry would have thought someone was playing a joke on him. Since this was Stark Mansion and Alex had told him how everything here was monitored, it kind of made sense. However, that thought didn't make it any less impressive.

"Yes, sir," Jarvis replied; and was there a hint of pride in his tone? Harry shook his head; there was no way artificial intelligence, no matter how advanced they are, can feel emotions. He was just tired, "I am. Mr. Stark has instructed me to wake you for breakfast. He is waiting for you in your sitting room."

"He broke in," Harry deadpanned.

"Technically sir, he couldn't have broken in since this is his house."

"Yeah, yeah," Harry grumbled, not at all feeling charitable at the moment, "Fine, please tell Mr. Stark I'll be down in a moment."

"Of course sir," Jarvis replied, "Mr. Stark has also instructed me to tell you to take your time. He can wait."

Despite that, Harry still did his best to hurry up with his morning ritual of brushing his teeth and getting dressed. He knew from experiences that although the boss tells you to take your time, it meant, "hurry up". He wasn't going to make that mistake again.

In record time, Harry managed to make his way to the Sitting room and found Tony Stark sitting on one of the sofas, fiddling with his phone. Harry was relieved to find that the man's aura was no longer visible to him.

"Mr. Stark," he greeted the billionaire, "What a surprise."

Tony looked up from his phone the moment Harry entered the room, and stood up to approach him.

"I do apologize for intruding your privacy, Mr. Potter," he said, hand outstretched. Harry really didn't want to touch him again; afraid any other contact will get a repeat of last night. But since refusing was in no way possible, he took a deep breath and grasped Tony's hand in his own. A small warmth traveled up his arm from where their skin touched but that was all; while Harry looked relieved, Tony looked disappointed.

"Not at all," Harry told him, feeling much better now that he knows for certain that last night was indeed accidental magic on his part; he was relieved Stark wasn't asking him awkward questions that he wasn't sure he could answer, "And please call me Harry."

"Then, do call me Tony," Tony told him with a smile, "If we have to work together for the next few month, we should be friends."

"Right," Harry said slowly, unsure what to make of Tony's attitude, "That will be nice, Mr. Sta-I mean, Tony."

Tony beamed at him.

"Now that that's out of the way, I'm actually here to apologize for last night and ask you if you're feeling better."

Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but feel a little touched by the other man's obvious concern.

"I'm feeling much better," he told him, "Thank you for asking. And as for last night, I have to apologize for leaving so abruptly; I hope Mrs. Potts wasn't too mad."

"Nah," Tony dismissed his concerns with a flap of his hand, "Don't worry about Pep, she was worried about you as well. It wouldn't do the company any good if the first intern in a long time got sick on the first night here. You know how it is."

Harry snorted at that but didn't comment.

"Anyway, we should get going. I was supposed to tell you what you were supposed to do as an Intern yesterday but since I arrived late, I didn't have the chance. I'll tell you after breakfast and than show you the labs."

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Harry said enthusiastically.

Tony smiled happily at his delight and guided him to the door, one hand on the small of Harry's back. Harry should have shrugged the appendage off, not being one to like touching from strangers, but in this case, for some reason, he didn't do anything of the kind. He told himself it was because Tony was his boss and it would be rude to push him away but the way his magic was purring at the contact told him otherwise. However for the moment, Harry didn't want to delve too much in to it. He has a job and potential new enemies to think of, whatever was happening to his magic was going to have to wait.

* * *

Pepper was present at breakfast; dressed in a form-hugging suit with heels so high that Harry actually gulped a little. Her makeup was perfectly done and her hair brushed neatly back in to a ponytail. Unlike last night, she looked composed and well rested, even smiling brightly at the duo as they entered the room.

"Good morning Tony, Mr. Potter."

"Morning Pep," Tony replied casually as he made a beeline to the coffee machine, only stopping once to kiss her on the cheek, "Mmm…coffee."

Harry snorted at that before taking a seat next to Pepper at the table – a smaller one since the meal wasn't as official as last night's – and grabbed a cup and a tea bag. With hot water available to him as well, he had a steaming drink in no time.

"So I see that Tony went to wake you up this morning," Pepper remarked off-handedly as she stirred her coffee with one hand.

"Yeah, he did," Harry told her with a smile while Tony narrowed his eyes at the woman, "He wanted to apologize for last night and to ask me how I was."

An expression of guilt immediately passed through Pepper's face as she quickly asked: "Oh, I do apologize, I didn't even remember asking you how you were feeling. You left in rather a hurry yesterday."

"Yes, I'm fine now," Harry said, "Don't worry Ms. Potts, I'm made of tougher stuff than that; I won't kneel over anytime soon and end up front page news."

Tony snorted despite himself, causing Pepper to turn her eagle gaze to him.

"What did you tell him?" she said accusingly making the billionaire raise his arms in defense, "Whatever he told you, it's a lie." The last part was said to Harry.

"Then you're not a beautiful, highly competent and extremely intelligent woman who could one day take over the world if she wanted."

To her credit, Pepper only blushed a little at that before replying in a composed tone.

"Well, that part is true."

Behind Pepper's back, Tony give Harry a thumbs up. Harry couldn't help but smile back at him, his childish delight in the smallest things rather contagious.

"Anyway," Pepper said, having totally missed the byplay between the two men, "I have to leave now if I want to make to today's shareholders meeting in time."

"Another meeting," Tony cooed, "Poor Pepper."

Pepper glared at him.

"Be careful what you say, Stark or I'll find a way to make you attend those meetings like you're supposed to…intern or not."

Tony shut up at that. Satisfied, Pepper continued.

"Oh and Tony, don't forget about the Stark Expo in a few weeks; you need to get ready."

Tony nodded, cowarded by Pepper's intense gaze and didn't speak again until Pepper had left the room to head to the car stationed at the front of the building to bring her to Stark Industries.

"Wow, I dodged a bullet there," Tony muttered to himself before beaming up at Harry. "Come on, eat; I can't wait to show you my lab."

* * *

Tony Stark's personal lab at Stark Mansion was as impressive as the rumors have said they would be; all shining surfaces and holographic screens; it looked like something right out of a sci-fi movie. And the most impressive of them all, was the Iron Man suit; the thing that made Tony Stark a superhero.

"Wow," Harry couldn't help but say as he reached a tentative hand out to touch the red and gold exterior of the battle machine, "This is incredible."

"It is," Tony agreed without one ounce of modestly as he crowded at Harry's back to admire his handiwork, "The most advanced combat suit in history. Right, Jarvis?"

Harry was proud to say that he didn't even jump when the British voice of that morning, replied: "Indeed, sir."

Harry turned around to face Tony, a smile on his face and words of praise of his lips when everything kind of died away when he realized just how close the other man was standing to him. With this proximity, his magic was once again purring happily just beneath his skin, a message of some kind, but Harry was too distracted to notice.

"Hmm…Tony," he started hesitantly, "Personal space."

Tony didn't even seem at all embarrassed as he took a step back.

"Sorry," he shrugged, "kind of forgot myself."

Although that was a big fat lie, Harry didn't call him out on it. Instead, he headed towards the workbench on which numerous gadgets were thrown half-hazardly on its surface.

"Sorry it's a mess," Tony said when he saw Harry picking up an item, "No one's usually down here but me…so."

"No problem," Harry replied quickly, "My room's worst."

Tony gave him a smile before heading towards the far side of the room. He came back a few moments later with a stack of papers.

"The annual Stark Expo is next month," he told Harry as he handed over the paper, "Your first job as my intern is to help me get ready for the event. Contact people; get stuff together. Pepper will help you since this is your first time."

Harry didn't comment that whatever Tony was asking him to do sounded more like the job of his personal assistant than his intern. Instead, he nodded and glanced down at the list. His eyebrows rose up on their own accord when he read: "Cheerleading uniforms."

Tony beamed at him.

"Hey, a man needs to appreciate the finer things in life before it's too late."

Harry didn't need further explanation to understand what he really meant. His smile fell a little as he was reminded once again of Tony's limited days. Harry didn't even know why he cared so much; perhaps he just hated death having seen so much of it during his Hogwarts days. Perhaps Tony kind of reminded him of Dumbledore in the sense that both knew they were dying, but never advertised it, keeping everything to themselves. The motives behind that choice might be different but the fact was, Tony was also watching the days pass with an air of finality and Harry couldn't even comfort him without revealing too much of himself. Merlin, this mission wasn't supposed to have an emotional tow on him – at least not so fast. But it was probably too late to distance himself from this whole mess.

Instead of voicing out his inner turmoil, Harry merely nodded.

"So, about this expo..."

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Well-deserved Break

**CHAPTER 3 WELL DESERVED BREAK**

* * *

One thing Harry quickly learned about preparing for the Stark Expo was that there was always something to do and not a lot of time to do it. Whether it's contacting suppliers for food or decorations, or simply making sure that the right people receives their invitation to the event, it all required highly developed organizational skills – to coordinate everything so it all falls in line – that Harry has never had the opportunity to train. Luckily Pepper was there every step of the way, making sure he doesn't mess up too badly and make the company look bad.

When Harry had informed Pepper a few days ago that his first task as an intern would be to help organized the Expo, the CEO of Stark Industries had looked so exasperated that Harry actually wondered if he had said anything wrong.

"No, it's not you," Pepper told him with a small smile, "It's Tony; he should be the one organizing this and not delegating his tasks to you. He's probably involved in some stuff that he insists is very important."

"Yes," Harry said, because it was true, "Tony told me he's developing some kind of new armor for the Expo."

"He's most likely holed up in his lab, sulking," Pepper said with a sigh, making Harry choke a little on his water, at her blunt words, "He's such a child sometimes."

"Anyway," Harry said because he has no idea how to reply to that, "I hope I won't mess this up." Auror training hasn't prepared him for this kind of work at all.

But luckily, as it turned out, Harry apparently had a natural charm to him that made people want to do business with him. Talking to suppliers was actually pretty easy and asking them to lower their prices, bargaining for a better deal was fun. It was undeniably different from what he was asked to do during Auror training but it wasn't that hard to adapt.

A week before the Expo – and nearly a month after Harry's first day in California, Harry found himself once again in Tony's lab giving the man a run-down of the preparations – what was done and what was left to do. Even as he spoke, Harry couldn't help but notice the pallor of the other man's skin; the bloodshot of his eyes and the inconstancy of his gait. He didn't look healthy at all and Harry was once again given a vivid reminder that Tony Stark was a dying man.

Truth be told, the desire to help Tony has grown since his first day here. Before, Harry's instinct to help him stemmed more from his hero complex then anything else; he could easily forget it if he didn't actively think about it.

Now, however, he was barely resisting the urge to question the man and ask him what was going on with him. He didn't really understand why his feelings were changing so much, considering that his contacts with the man were limited to hellos in the morning and goodnights if he sees him before going back to the dorms. After all, Harry had been way too busy getting everything ready for the big event, that he barely had time to sleep or think about his mission, let along talk to his boss. And as for Tony, he spends most of his time in the labs researching; probably desperate to find a solution to his illness. Harry didn't know how to approach this and can't even contact Hermione to ask for advice. For now, he decided, all he can do is just sit back and watch things develop. If he gets too desperate, he can always find a way.

"And that's about it," Harry finished with a flourish, smiling a little proudly at what he had accomplished. Tony smiled too, looking delighted at the progress.

"Great job Harry," he said, "At the beginning, I wasn't sure if you can pull this off, even with Pepper's help but you've proven me wrong. You deserve a break."

Harry immediately started to protest.

"I don't have time for a break," he told Tony seriously, aware how Pepper-ish he sounded at the moment. It was unavoidable, truth be told, considering the number of hours per day he spends with the woman. "I have too much to do; I still have to contact the model agency to confirm that their girls will be available for the event."

Tony waved his hand as if to dismiss his concerns.

"You can do that tomorrow. One day won't hurt."

"But," Harry tried again but was interrupted once more.

"I'm taking you out to dinner. And that is non negotiable," Tony said firmly, charming smile fixed firmly on his face, "Don't even try to get out of it. Think of it as an order."

"To accompany you out for dinner?" Harry asked, wondering if that was perhaps a little bit inappropriate. He didn't actually believe that Tony had some interior motives to invite him out other than to congratulate him on a job well done, but if reporters catch them, they would surely spin the story in a way that would portray the other man in a bad light. At least that's something Harry can sympathize with Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes, as if already sensing his thoughts.

"It's just dinner; dress nicely and if it makes you feel better, we can even talk about work. I think it's about time we get to know each other better. I'll be waiting for you at the front entrance at 7."

Since Harry didn't know any way to get out of this without disobeying Tony's will, he shrugged. What could it possibly hurt?

* * *

"He's taking you out for dinner?" Alex sounded incredulous, his blue eyes wide with surprise, "Wow, isn't that getting a little bit personal?"

"There's nothing personal Alex," Harry groaned as if he hadn't been thinking about the same thing on his way back to the dorms, "It's business. Bosses can have meals with their employees, right? He told me he wanted to get to know me better since I'm his intern and all."

"But it's Tony Stark," Alex said, as if that explains everything. His next words were more hushed, as if he was telling Harry some kind of secret. "He doesn't do business meetings, not for a while anyway. If he takes someone out to a restaurant and tells them he wants to get to know them better, it's to get in their pants."

Despite himself, Harry felt his whole face flush at Alex's words.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me," Harry said jokingly, "My virtue is safe since I'm not interested."

While Alex was shooting him a doubtful look, Harry knew his words were the exact truth. Harry may be bisexual in nature, but he can say rather proudly that he has never thought of Tony Stark in a sexual manner, ever. Tony just wasn't his type. Harry was more of the long-term kind of guy and would never settle for one-night stands. Tony, on the other hand, didn't seem to know how to do anything other than one night stands. Even if for some reason, Tony was getting slightly more attractive every time Harry sees him, the fact that he's Harry's employer and that Harry has a mission to accomplish, makes anything more than a platonic relationship between them, totally impossible.

Besides, Harry was pretty sure Tony's constant touches were more because he was a natural flirt rather then because he was actually interested in Harry. Furthermore, he didn't know what Tony's usual partners are like, Harry was sure they were closer to Tony's age.

"Right," Alex drawled, still looking unconvinced, "Maybe I should get you to wear a chastity belt."

Harry sighed.

"Alex, we barely had any contact for the past month except hellos and goodbyes. Don't make this more then it seems. I'm already swamped with work, I don't need any work place drama to add to my plate."

Alex raised his hands in surrender and Harry was left to choose an outfit in peace.

* * *

For once in his life, Tony was actually on time, to Harry's ever lasting shock. He had been sure the man would be at least 10 minutes late, but no; at 7, Tony was standing at the front door, next to one of the sexiest cars that Harry has ever seen. Harry may not be an expert on vehicles and has never bothered getting a license; even he could see that car was more work of art than method of transportation.

"Wow," Harry breathed in awe, making Tony smile in amusement. The man must love showing off his little gadgets.

"Zenvo ST1 sports car, worth over a million dollars," Tony told him, hands caressing the hood almost gently, "Fast and gorgeous; one of my prized possessions. Wait till you see the inside."

The inside was as impressive as the outside; all smooth leather and chrome finishing, it looked once again like some kind of thing one would see on a high-budget sci-fi movie than in real life. With the car's ability to reach 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 233 mph, they managed to reach the restaurant in record time. Harry knew if he weren't already used to riding the Firebolt, he would probably be puking right now after the intense ride he had just experienced.

"What did you think?" Tony asked as they both made towards the entrance, Tony's hand once again on the small of Harry's back, gently guiding him. "Too fast for you?"

"Nice try," Harry replied with a smirk of his own, ignoring how his magic hummed contently at Tony's proximity and was actually calm for the first time in weeks. Harry didn't know why it was acting this way but if this trend continues, Harry won't be able to continue believing that it was all coincidences. "That's nothing. I love speed."

Tony looked absolutely charmed by his words and didn't look away from him until they were sat down at one of the more private tables inside the restaurant.

The place Tony has chosen for their little celebration was surprisingly small and homely. It might still look too expensive for Harry's tastes, but it was a far cry from the scrumptious interior of Stark Mansion. Compared to the dining room that Harry had eaten in his first day, this place was almost like McDonalds.

It didn't take long for Harry to understand why Tony had chosen this over other places. For one thing, the food was absolutely delicious; the fish was tender and savory and the wine so exquisite that Harry could die. The wait staff was discreet and didn't spend the entire time staring at Tony. It was nice really, and Harry let himself relax for the first time in weeks.

After a confortable dinner talking about work and other related things, such as Harry's family and Tony's hobbies, Harry was feeling rather warm and bubbly from the alcohol and at peace with the world. He didn't even blink when Tony slid an arm around his waist and hugged him closer than usual. He figured Tony was probably as tipsy as he felt.

Instead of going back to the car and risking driving slightly drunk, they ended up walking around the small park Tony found near the restaurant. It was peaceful and confortable; Tony even told Harry about his adventures in Afghanistan and showed him his arc reactor. Like most people seeing it for the first time, Harry gaped at it for a while and proceeded to ask Tony how it worked. Too drunk to actually master up a defense against Harry questions, Tony told him how they were shrapnels around his heart and that this thing was keeping them from reaching the center. Harry drunkenly wondered if that was the cause of Tony's illness but luckily wasn't drunk enough to ask the question out loud.

Their evening came to an end around 9 when Pepper decided to check up on them by calling Tony's cellphone repeatedly. After the 3rd time, Tony gave up and picked up the call.

"Tony?" Pepper sounded almost hysterical, "Harry's gone. Do you-"

"He's here with me," Tony slurred in to the receiver.

After making sure everything was all right, Pepper ordered both of them to come home. Since Tony was still too drunk to drive, Pepper sent Happy who arrived 15 minutes later, in a limo. Harry climbed in after Tony, finally feeling the exhaustion weighting on him and unable to keep his eyes open any longer. He fell asleep right there, head cushioned on Tony's shoulder.

* * *

While the last thing he remembers is falling asleep in Tony's limo, he wakes up in his own bed, and to find Alex staring down at him.

"Bloody hell," Harry cried, trying to get away from the other man, heart pounding as loudly as his head, "What on earth are you doing?"

"Checking you for marks," Alex replied seriously, as if watching someone sleep wasn't creepy as hell "Someone from the model agency called by the way; maybe you should call him back."

Harry groaned, not really in the mood of going back to work but knowing he had to. He forced his tired body out of his comforter and headed towards the bathroom. He was lucky that he didn't drink enough the previous night to end up with him puking this morning. But it still required a shower before Harry was feeling any close to human.

Once he was out of the bathroom, he picked up his cell and checked his messages. He ignored the ones from Tony for the moment – why was the man texting him when he has never done it before, he wasn't sure – and found the number for the agency.

As he scheduled a date with the owner for his models to try out the cheerleading uniforms he had ordered, Harry really hoped things would calm down after the Expo was over. Because as unbelievable as it may sound, this secretariat work was more taxing on his body than those 6 months of Auror training.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
